On the Phone
by SharadaGirl
Summary: After speaking on the phone with him for seven long years, she decides to go home. Slight Phoenix/Maya Oneshot, After Ace Attorney: Apollo Justice


Author's Note- Okay, since I have issues keeping up with chapter stories, (all have been deleted) I decided to go for a oneshot. Phoenix Wright/Apollo Justice Does not belong to me. All I got are the games.

Contains some spoilers and a few curses.

--

"Nick-"

"No."

"But Nick-"

"NO."

"But Nick I-"

"Maya, what do you think my answer will be? We've had this exact conversation a million times and it's always ended the same." Phoenix paused, awaiting the girl on the phone's answer. Apollo looked at him strangely from across the table, reading over an old case report. Phoenix didn't know where Trucy was, but he was almost certain of one thing: She was tapping this phone call.

"Yes...?"

"Yup."

"Really?

"No." He sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. _I need some grape juice._ "Hold on, Maya." He turned away from the phone. "Hey, Apollo-"

"Get it yourself." The young attorney said, without even looking up. He returned to reading the case report without another word.

"You don't even know what I was about to ask."

"Grape juice. Get it yourself. I'm busy."

"Let me rephrase that- Get me Grape juice or I tell Trucy about that time you tried-"

"Alright, Alright!" Apollo cut the other man off, waving his hands around. "_Geeze_, Mr. Wright. Blackmail isn't a good thing to get into habit of."

"Well, it is if you want Grape juice." He laughed.

"Nick? Blackmail is bad! Bad Nick! _BAD_! That's it! I'm jumping on the next train to see you." She said with a tone of finality in her voice.

"No. How many times have I told you, Maya? You. Run. A. School. Now. You can't just run around all over like we used to. I don't anyone blaming me for the Master getting in anymore trouble." Once again, he sighed. How many times have they had this debate? One too many, probably. Maya was successful now. She hadn't been kidnaped, accused for murder, or been a target of murder in years; and Phoenix wanted it to stay that way.

Even though it meant he couldn't see her.

He blamed himself for all the trauma Maya went through. From Mia being murdered to having a crazy ass ghost out to kill her. After she had to go back to Kurain to become the Master, he forbid her from coming to see him. For her protection, and so the students could learn. Like _that_ would ever happen.

Sure, they kept in contact a lot though- She had gotten him hopelessly addicted to The Steel Samurai, and she knew more about what's been going on in the messed up world of Phoenix Wright than Apollo or Trucy. Meaning, of course, she knew of their relatedness. The only thing she didn't really know is that he went undefeated for seven years in Poker. Only, really, to disguise the fact he let her win every game, every hand, they ever played against each other.

And Maya _really_ sucked at Poker.

It was an undeniable fact. Like how Edgeworth is a pansy when it comes to Earthquakes or that Larry is either still a virgin from the way he repulses all the women he's ever dated or has a couple of illegitimate kids that he doesn't know exist. Or that Godot- no, Diego Armando, ended up dying in jail from a caffeine-induced heart attack three years ago. That was the last time Phoenix saw Maya. Pearls, however, wasn't there. Maya had said something about her going to Germany for educational purposes...

Apollo plopped a glass of Grape juice next to Phoenix on the tiny, over-crowded table, bringing him back to reality.

"There's your damn Grape juice." He muttered and went back to his case report.

"Thanks." Phoenix muttered and downed it in three gulps.

"Nick? Thanks for what?" Maya questioned.

"Thanking my lackey for the Grape juice."

"_I AM NOT YOUR LACKEY_!" Apollo yelled, using his Chords of Steel. This sent Phoenix and Maya- who could have heard Apollo anyway without the assistance of the ancient cell phone- into hysterics. After a three minute fit of laughter, there was a silence.

"Nick?"

"Yeah?"

"Do... Do you..." There was a pause. Phoenix could almost see Maya's sad face, resisting tears, right in front of him. It put a lump in his throat. "Do you... Not want to... See me or something?"

Phoenix had no response. Why would she think that? _How_ could she think that? The lump grew.

"Wh-What...?"

"Do you not want to see me?" Maya forced out again. He could tell she was almost in tears. "Just tell me and I'll stop bothering you. I promise, Nick." She paused. "Just tell me."

Now Phoenix was almost in tears.

"Mr. Wright...?" Apollo questioned when he saw his boss/mentor's pain-stricken face. "Are you Okay?"

"How can you ask that...?" Phoenix whispered. His eyes were unfocused, his mind was roaming with reasons he thought of that would explain why she might ask that.

"What? Hey, I was just being worried!" Apollo exclaimed, somewhat offended.

"Not you, Justice. Her." The hobo-ish man rolled his eyes. "Maya, of _course_ I want to see you. But every time I'm around you, you end up in the hands of an assassin or in jail or-"

"But you want to see me." Maya confirmed. It was not a question.

"Well, duh, Maya." Phoenix said sarcastically. "You're only my... My best friend." When had she become that? When exactly had she replaced Larry and Edgeworth, he wondered. Had she replaced them, or joined them? Or risen above the title of best friend? Everything confused Phoenix at the moment. There was one thought that kept him going for the last seven years in the sense of Maya: Her being away had pained him, but the thought of her in trouble, _her_ in pain would _murder_ him.

"That's all I need. Be at the train station in three hours." He could hear her smirk. It didn't take long for her intentions to register in Phoenix's brain.

"Maya-"

_Click_

"...She hung up on me." Phoenix stated dumbfounded.

"You shouldn't have added the 'Duh,' Mr. Wright." Apollo said nonchalantly. Phoenix was about to respond with a sarcastic comment, but the door to Trucy's room burst open.

"COME ON, DADDY!" She screamed. "YOU ONLY HAVE THREE HOURS! GET READY! NOW! NOW! NOW!" She had actually taken his arm and started _pulling_ him towards his room. "You need to look good for Miss Maya!"

Apollo stood to the side, leaning on the door frame, wondering what he missed. One thing caught his attention, though. _Miss_. Usually Trucy would call anyone close to her dad 'Uncle' or 'Aunt'. Apollo could only think of one reason Maya would call Mr. Wright's best friend 'Miss.' He recalled all the times she had begged Mr. Wright for a new mommy and Mr. Wright would just laugh nervously or tell her to get an 'A' on her science test and he'd think about it. (_"But Daddy! I'm a Magician! Science isn't good for me!" "Yes, but science is good for college. Which you're going to. Even if we gotta not pay Apollo for a year to afford." "Can't I be left out of this?"_)

"...And put on a suit!"

"But I don't wanna wear a suit."

"Don't you want Miss Maya to recognize you?"

"She recognized me at Mr. Armando's funeral."

"That's because the ghosts pulled her over to you."

...Apollo would never understand the Wrights or their friends. Especially the way Mr. Wright would just start saying snippy things to the air at times, often adding "Toaster-Face" or "Chief" to the end of whatever he's saying. Usually it happens when he's drinking way too much coffee or trying to make sense of the crosswords.

Apollo was almost afraid to meet 'Miss Maya' in person. She popped up in all of Mr. Wright's old case files, minus three. His first, his last, and the one where he met Detective Skye were the only ones where she was not present. 'Miss Maya' was his most frequent defendant, the victim of his only theft trial. She was kidnaped in the first (and technically only) trail where his defendant was found guilty, and was the target of his second-to-last case. She helped many of his clients, often blundering into some evidence the police missed.

"...The hat is not up for negotiation."

"She's just gonna rip it off your head, anyway."

"I'm taller than her. She can't reach it."

"Yes she will, Daddy. She'll just channel Aunt Mia and SHE'LL get it off your head."

"I think Mia would hit me for not watching Maya first. She keeps yelling at me while Mr. Armando just stands there and makes snide remarks." There was a pause in which Mr. Wright was rolling his eyes. "You'd think they'd have something better to do than haunt me."

Another pause. Apollo would never admit it, but he swore for a moment he saw two translucent figures, one of a beautiful woman and another of a man with wild hair. There was a masculine voice Apollo definitely never heard before.

"That hurts, Trite. Of course we do. This is just to damn much fun."

"Watch your language, Toaster-Face."

...

"Daddy, is the train here yet?" Trucy asked for the twenty-seventh time within the last half hour. Apollo had counted. It Trucy and Mr. Wright about two and a half hours to get him ready, most of it being arguing. The only change is Mr. Wright had on a clean sweatshirt with no blood, stains, or rips on it, which for some reason, all of them had. Apollo would have to make sure Detective Skye never gives Trucy and Luminoil Spray again. Afterwards, it took them ten minutes to get to the train station. The train was currently exactly seven minutes late.

"Trucy, do you see a train?" Apollo asked.

"No."

"There's your answer."

"I wasn't asking you...!"

Phoenix promptly swatted each of them on the back of their heads.

"Stop fighting, children."

"OBJECTION! You're not my dad!" Apollo pointed at Phoenix. He started cracking up for reasons not clear to Apollo. He decided it would be safest to shut up and fall back into the three-man line they had formed.

A few minutes passed in silence, before Trucy started asking several questions; "What if the train got lost? What if she got on the wrong train? What if we're at the wrong car when she gets off?"

"The train can't get lost, Trucy. It's on a rail." Apollo stated.

"Maya isn't on the wrong train." Phoenix smiled absentmindedly. He was probably in the past at the moment. "She'd been trying to let me let her some home for seven years. And we always rides on the second-to-last car." Apollo noticed Mr. Wright say 'home' and 'we'. He was definitely in the past at the moment.

After another five minutes of waiting, Phoenix pulled out his ancient phone and tapped a few numbers, and the Pink Princess Theme Song started playing. After about half a minute, someone picked up.

"Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick, the train came late." Complained a voice very familiar to the man in question.

"I guessed that much. Is it almost here, or should we pick up hamburgers before you finally get here?" He questioned.

"Burgers! That's the first thing we do when I get there! But just.. Stay there for now, Nick. We're passing Global Studios right now, so I'm guessing I'll see you in... Ten minutes?" She estimated. "Can't wait to see you!"

"Maya-"

_Click_

"Would it kill her to let me talk before hanging up?" He asked noone in particular.

"Possibly." Trucy said. "It's hard to let you have the last word, Daddy."

"But-"

"But what?"

"Is it-"

"Yes." Trucy said. "I can't let you get the last word, either, daddy."

"What about me?"

"Same to you, Polly."

The three stood there for another solid fifteen minutes, when a train finally came barreling down the tracks. It came to a screeching halt after a while, and the doors flew open. A flood of people came out of the car the three were standing in front of. Apollo started searching the crowd for someone he did not know. Trucy stood there, preparing for Mr. Hat to make an appearance. Phoenix was on his toes, looking over the top of the crowd.

"MAYA!" He called out and started flailing his arm, hitting Apollo on the head.

"NICK?!" Called out a voice from the crowd. "NICK! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"HEAD TOWARDS THE HOBO, MISS MAYA!" Trucy yelled at the top of her lungs. "THE HOOOBOOO!!" By now people were staring. A lot of people. A mother grabbed her child and led him away, muttering about 'saint less freaks not being allowed in public, Jimmy.'

"NICK! WHERE ARE YOU?" Maya called out once more, right in front of Phoenix. He really didn't care as he pulled her into a hug. "EEK! LEMME GO! NICK! HELP! I'M BEING KIDNAPED!" She screamed and punched Phoenix in the gut. Hard. He let go of her and doubled over.

"Nice to see you too, Maya." He winced. She stared at him for a moment.

"Nick...?" Maya asked. The man in pain nodded. "NIIICK!" She screamed and hugged him. After a little while, she let go of him and the looked at each other. Maya had changed very little over the years. Still short with her freaky hair and the exact same outfit. The only difference was her Magatama around her neck was glowing, and looked exactly like the one Phoenix had. "Nick..."

"Yeah, Maya?"

"You..." She paused and blushed a bit. "YOU LOOK LIKE A FREAKIN' HOBO!" She screeched and launched into yelling-at-Nick mode. Apollo didn't understand a word of it after 'Hobo'.

"Wow." He muttered.

"Better than what happened at the funeral." Trucy stated.

"...AND TAKE OFF THAT HAT!" Maya yelled.

"No!" Phoenix yelled, and pulled down on his hat while Maya grasped for it a few times.

"GIMME THE HAT, NICK!"

"...Was he always this immature?" Apollo asked Trucy.

"He used to be more grown-up when he first became my daddy. Now, he's like this." Trucy smiled. Apollo looked back at Phoenix and Maya. He was currently on the ground, on his stomach, still pulling down on his hat. Maya was kneeling on his back, hitting him with her left and and trying to pry his hat off his head with the right.

"PHOENIX ABUSE! PHOENIX ABUSE!"

"GIMME THE HAT, NICK!"

Apollo started laughing. Trucy chimed in. They were really a group to see. A hobo-like man being beaten up by a small woman who talks to dead people for a living, a magician girl with a wooden man next to her and an attorney with antenna-like hair and wearing a red sweater-vest with rolled up sleeves laughing their asses off at the hobo. No, _group_ the wrong word.

_Family_ would be the right one.

--

Author's Note: Too long? Too Short? I tried to go for a cheesey ending. Do you guys like it?

_Please_ Comment. Critisism appreciated.


End file.
